UPCOMING EVENTS

Nintendo is wasting little time bringing one of the breakout Wii U games to the Switch, and we already had a chance to go hands-on with it.

The publisher held its first Global Testfire event for Splatoon 2 on the Switch today, and we got to see what the game feels like on the new system. At its core, the sequel to the team-based online ink shooter is more of the same, but exposing that excellent gameplay to an audience that may never have purchased the Wii U is probably a smart idea for Nintendo.

Splatoon 2 is still about covering a playfield with your team’s ink color, firing at enemies, and using special abilities to get the upper hand. And while the developers are adding new guns, maps, and more, the biggest changes may come as a result of the shift to a new platform.

Nintendo turned the multiplayer servers on for Splatoon 2 at noon Pacific time today, and the first thing I noticed is that motion controls in a competitive setting in handheld mode was rough. Whipping the screen around to aim at fast-moving opponents is a fine way to disorient yourself. Switching to a TV and a Pro Controller was better, but it presented problems of its own in terms of getting used to aiming.

But, overall, I’m glad Nintendo is following up Zelda with Splatoon 2 this summer. I’m ready to spend more time with the squidkids because they dress cool and listen to the best music.